Beschreibung:

WARHOL, ANDY 25 Cats Name[d] Sam and One Blue Pussy. [New York:] Printed by Seymour Berlin, [circa 1954]. First edition, hand-numbered 69 of 190 copies and signed in pencil by Warhol. Original buckram with gray endpapers, the upper cover with a hand-colored lithographed label depicting a cat and lettered with the title and author. 9 x 5 7/8 inches (22.5 x 18 cm); tipped-in limitation leaf, followed by 17 offset lithographs by Warhol on Arches paper, each hand-colored with the bright washes of Dr. Martin's aniline watercolor dyes. The cover lithograph completes the count of 18. The cover illustration toned and with small losses and creases to edges not affecting the image or text, the buckram darkened and with a short split to the spine at foot and a few marks on the lower cover, the limitation leaf toned at extremities and with a few chips, the plates all quite clean overall, a few creased at the lower corner, a few spots to the last print. 25 Cats Name[d] Sam and One Blue Pussy is an ephemeral work created in the early years of Warhol's career as a graphic artist in New York City. The work lists Charles Lisanby as its author although there is no text, and the cat theme may be credited to Warhol's mother Julia, who had moved to New York to be near Andy and provided the calligraphy. Julia and Andy were known to have many cats, all but one named Sam, and Julia was known for her whimsical cat drawings. The coloring of the lithographs was done at "coloring parties" with Warhol's friends, a precursor the collective approach that characterized much of his career, and the book was typically gifted by Warhol to friends and colleagues. Among the most significant American artist books of the period, these Cats are now ubiquitous Warhol images and a facsimile edition was issued by Random House in 1987. Feldman & Schellmann IV 52A-68A. C